Ship-hatch.



A. McDOUGALL.

SHIP HATCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1915- Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

- INVEIZTOR. y jfi y WITNESES: m 1% A TTORNEY.

s'rArEs SHIP-HATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed September 27, 1915. Serial No. 52,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MoDoU- GALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship- Hatches, of which the following is a specifioatiton, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention consists of certain improvements v in ship hatches.

The object is simplicity in construction and method of manipulation, of a water and air tight ship hatch cover.

In large modern vessels, having numerous hatches, the matter of opening and closing the hatches and making the same water proof, air tight and strong is very important and the use of many small interlocking sectional covers necessitating the use of tarpaulins for keeping the water olf have not proven as effective and economical as desirable, this being especially true when air tight hatch covers are necessary.'

Another object is to overcome the objec tion and disadvantages of high coamings' now commonly used on vessels.

Still another object is to form a hatch cover that may be put on or taken oif with the least expenditure of labor or time possible, and when secured upon the hatch will fully restore to the ship the strength other-- wise lost by the hatch openings.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts Figure 1, is a top plan View of a fragmental portion of aships deck equipped with my improved hatch and showing one hatch cover withdrawn from the hatch. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the coaming and hatch cover through one of the hatch bolts, and Fig. 3 is a broken vertical. sectional view through the deck showing the position of the hatchcover when removed.

1 represents the deck of a vessel such as found in steel freighters, they being the class of ship to which my invention is particularly applicable.

2 represents the hatch openings in the deck 1 and 3 the hatch covers.

In my improved construction the hatchopening is surrounded by a heavy flat steel bar 4:, securely riveted to the deck 1, the inside of the bar being flush with the inside of the hatch opening. The top surface 5 of the bar 4 is inclined downwardly away from the hatch on all sides and adjacent the outermost edge of the bar 4 and on all four sides of the hatch is formed a suitable dove tailed groove, 6, for the reception of the packing 7 which snugly fits therein and projects upwardly slightly above the top surface 5 of the bar, but somewhat below a level with the inner-most corner of the bar. Thus when the hatch cover 3 rests normally in place over the'hatch it will be supported entirely upon the inner-most edges of the coaming and not touch the packing.

Spaced apart within the coaming 4 and intermediate the inner edge thereof and the packing 7 is formed a series of screw threaded holes 8 into which screw threaded hatch bolts '9 are designed to fit, each hatch cover 3 having a series of blank holes 10 about the edges thereof, which register with the holes 8 when the cover is in place upon the coaming. I

When the hatch is to be secured in place the bolts 9 are placed within the holes 10 in the cover and screwed into the holes 8 in the coaming until the edges of the hatch cover are drawn down tight upon the packing 7 and a water and air tight connection effected.

The method of securing ship hatches by means of a plurality of screw threaded bolts is well known and forms a very simple and expeditiousmanner of such attachment.

Upon the under face of the bar 4 and communicating with each hole 8 therein is formed a small limber or open groove 11 for the purpose of draining the holes and whereby any water or dirt may be prevented from collecting within the bottom of the holes.

Along the sides of the hatch coamings, spaced a slight distance therefrom and secured to the deck are metal bars 12-12 which may extend the full length of the traveling cranes such as are sometimes used on such vessels. The bars 1212 being somewhat higher than the hatch covers when in place act as a guide for same and insure the proper travel of the cover when drawn on or off. An angle bar such as indicated in dotted lines 1 1, Fig. 2 may be used in lieu of the bar 12 if preferred and answer the identical purpose.

Upon the deck 1 and preferably abreast one fore and aft edge of each hatch coaming are fastened a pair of angle iron clips 1515, they being of a length to act as a suitable stop for the nextsucceeding hatch cover when it is drawn off the hatch and the edge thereof engages the stop as it rests upon the deck of the ship, the opposite edge of the cover resting at the same time upon the inneredge of the coaming as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The opposite ends of the clips being abreast the coaming answer as a stop to the local hatch cover as it comes to place on the coaming. However any other suitable arrangement of stops and guides may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For sliding the hatch covers on or off I .be derived from the deck winches (not shown) or other suitable source, or could be operated by hand in the absence of such power.

While I have shown the cover as being made of a single plate, it is evident that the same. may be composed of a plurality of pieces, though having a smooth under surface, if preferred. 7

It will be seen that the inclination of the upper surface of the coaming and its height above the deck are such that the cover will at no time engage the packing 7 until drawn down thereupon by the hatch bolts as above described,ithus all abnormal wear upon the packing is avoided. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a ship hatchway of a low flat coaming surrounding the hatch, and having the upper surface thereof inclined downwardly from the hatch for supporting the hatch cover upon the inner-most edge of the coaming.

2. The combination with a ship hatchway of a flat rectangular shaped coaming surrounding the hatch and having the upper surface thereof inclined downwardly, screwthreaded holes within the coaming and limbers leading from each hole in the coaming to the exterior thereof.

3. The combination with a ship hatchway of a flat metal coaming surrounding the hatch and securely fastened to the deck of the ship, screw-threaded holes within the coaming and limbers communicating with each hole in such a manner that any water lodging in the holes willbe discharged upon the deck. i

4-. A ship hatch comprising a. coaming bar of substantially rectangular oblong shape in cross section, having the upper surface thereof inclined downwardly from the hatch, a resilient packing within the upper surface of the bar, a hatch cover composed of a single flat plate and means for springing down and holding the edges of the plate securely against the packing to form a strong tight hatch. v

5, A ship hatch comprising a coaming bar quadrilateral in cross section having the upper surface thereof inclined downwardly from the hatch, a resilient packing within the upper surface of the bar, a hatch cover composed of a single flat plate, means for springing down and holding the edges of the cover securely against the packing and means for removing and replacing the cover in its entirety without injuring the packing.

6. A ship hatch comprising a low flat coaming surrounding the hatchway, the upper face of the coaming being inclined downwardly from the hatch, a resilient packing within the upper face ofthe outer edge of the coaming, a cover composed of a single unit .of sheet metal, means for removing the cover and allowing one edge thereof to rest upon the deck of the ship and the opposite edge upon the coaming without in any manner injuring the packing.

7. The combination with a. ship hatchway of a low flat coaming surrounding the hatch, a cover for the hatch composed of a single metal plate and fixed members extending above the coaming at the sides of the hatch and longitudinal the deck of the. ship as guides for the covers whereby the latter may be readily slid off and on intheir entirety. 8. Ina vessel having a plurality of hatchways through the main deck thereof, the combination of low flat coamings surroimding the hatches, covers for each hatch composed of a single member, means for sliding the covers fore and aft in their entirety and stops adjacent one side of one hatch for stopping the cover as it comes to place upon the coaming and the opposite ends of the stops acting as a stop for the next succeed- 111g hatch cover when it 1s removed from its hatch.

a plurality of hatchways through the main deck thereof, of a cover for each hatch comfore and aft.

10. The combination With a Vessel having a plurality of hatchways through the main deck thereof, of a cover for each hatch composed of a single unit of metal, means for in manipulating the covers in their entirety, a

rail upon each side of the hatches for guiding the covers and stops fastened to the deck of the Vessel for limiting the fore and aft movement of the covers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 15 signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses. ALEXANDER MODOUGALL. Witnesses:

A. G. DUNN, S. GEO. STEVENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents. Washington, D. G, 

